Letter to the Editor

The following was sent to the Chieftain, but it was never published.

I just read an article by Christian Piatt in the Saturday, July 5, 2008 edition of the Pueblo Chieftain, entitled 'Jesus for President'. This is the second time in as many weeks that he has advocated Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo, and their new take on “theology.” Christian Piatt seems to be under the belief that their push towards this new movement is not political. However, everything that I have heard or read about it indicates just the opposite; it is all about political; they call themselves “Progressives.” It is a cleverly disguised push towards a new Marxism. Marxism that has forced a dialectic with Christianity, and Christianity has been the loser. Marx advocated turning theological questions into secular ones by criticizing the religious failings of the political state. Those “Progressives” of the “New Awakening” have taken this a step further, and simply tried to synthesize the words of Jesus with Marxist ideals. It is a Humanistic attempt to force what they believe to be an inevitable social evolution of mankind. Marx is probably rolling in his grave, as he detested religious fervor. He saw it as an evil that upheld social classes. He would not have tried to harness it.

Those “Progressives” of the “New Awakening” intend to use the “religious fervor” to push their "Progressive" political ideological movement. They seem to believe this will work because they see the religious masses as if they were in a state of “religious stupor,” and hence may think the masses can be easily led. I went to a conference given by Tony Campolo, and came away with the feeling that he was advising us to aid in a revolution against the foreign governments of Latin America. While I do advocate helping the poor, I do not intend to be used to establish political ideological movements in this country or any other. By the way, this is nothing more than Liberation Theology. James H. Cone does the same things with the words of Jesus, in his writings on Black Theology. He says that Jesus claimed to be a slave, and advocated revolution of any type or degree; revolution according to James H. Cone ranges from boycotts to all out rebellion against whites! Read his book entitled, Risks of Faith, it is all there in black and white. Need more proof? Consider this: Barack Obama has been well versed in Black Theology for the past 20 years in the Trinity United Church of Christ, where Reverend Wright preached James H. Cone's Black Theology. Barack Obama identified with Tony Campolo and Jim Wallis and their “Progressive Movement,” such that Barack called himself a “Progressive.” Barack Obama also supported their Covenant in his ‘Call to Renewal’ Keynote Address on June 28, 2006. The speech clearly shows the political bent of this "Progressive New Awakening Movement"!